Orlean/Niagara BOCES students continue to work on a Bell UH-1 “Huey” helicopter that will be on display at the Town of Hartland Fire Hall as part of the Eastern Niagara Veterans Memorial.
Bodywork and collision students were in the garage where the helicopter is located Monday morning. The “Huey” was built in 1967 and saw service in Vietnam from 1968 to 1971 with the 191st Assault Helicopter Co. and the 134th Assault Helicopter Co. It was donated through an Army program.
Gavin Poulton, a BOCES student, said it was a surprise when he walked into the garage one day and saw the helicopter.
“I thought: great, let’s work on that,” he said.
Poulton went on to talk about the work, noting that there was a large dent on the top of the helicopter that needed to be filled.
“I did some of the bodywork there,” he said. “It looks pretty good there now.”
Abigayle Wright, another student at BOCES, said Jim Rozewski, her academic advisor, got her involved in the project. She, Evan Quiros and Adler Detschner are deciding how to route the electrical lines in the helicopter so that they are invisible but the lights still work.
“There’s just a helicopter dropping off here at our school,” she joked. “It’s just normal.”
The helicopter also comes with a bit of history.
On February 1, 1968, Tommy G. Sandefur of Tusla, Oklahoma, was killed while on duty as an aircraft commander. A vinyl image of his silhouette will be in the window of the ‘Huey’, along with his call sign ‘Big Okie’.
Members of the American Legion Post 1253 were also present during a press event. Clifford Grant, a Vietnam veteran, said the sound of the helicopter hovering overhead was “the best sound ever” because it meant they were being picked up.
On the other hand, Grant also recalled being on helicopters when he was deployed.
‘They tapped you on the shoulder and that meant it was time to jump off. If you didn’t, they would send you away,” he said.
Work on the monument is expected to begin as soon as “the weather breaks” next year, said Scott Wymyczak, post commander of the Gasport Legion.
There are also stones dedicated to any veteran or active military personnel, on the two horseshoe-shaped walls below the helicopter, as well as stones on the walkway leading to the monument for corporate sponsors.
Forms for the dedication bricks can be requested by sending an email to getyourbrick@gmail.com.
